DEACONS:
HONOURED SERVANTS
Acts 6 : 2-4: I Timothy 3 : 8-13

"So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said: 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose 7 men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6 : 2-4)

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons… . A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well, gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus". (I Timothy 3 : 8-13)

Whether the 7 men chosen in Acts 6 were actually deacons is the subject of much debate. Certainly they seemed to fill the role of that of deacons, though they were not given the title "deacon" in the passage. However, there can be no question but that those mentioned in the I Timothy 3 passage were to fill an official office in the Church known as deacon. Between the time of Acts 6 and the time I Timothy was written, the office had been clearly established and recognized by the early Church. Paul is further establishing that office by laying down the qualifications of a deacon.
In many Churches today, the deacons are the actual leaders of the body. However, that is clearly not the biblical pattern. Elders (presbyters, overseers, pastors, bishops-all different words for the same office) are to be the spiritual leaders of the body (see Acts 20:17; Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17-20; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-4). The word "deacon" means "servant". Deacons are to be the officially recognized servants of the church. Clearly God intended for the spiritual functions to be headed by a group of leaders known as "elders" and the physical needs of the body to be under the direction of the "deacons".
In Philippians 1:1, mentioned above, Paul addresses the spiritual leaders of the Philippian church (the elders), those who took care of the physical needs (the deacons) and then the remaining church members (all in the same verse). By the time Paul was in his first Roman imprisonment (in the early 60's of the first century-when he wrote to the Philippians), the 2 offices of elder and deacon were clearly recognized.
In the I Timothy passage (quoted above), Paul lists the qualifications for the office of deacon. If one compares those qualifications with that of the qualifications of an elder, the major difference is that the elder must be "apt to teach". This does not mean that a deacon cannot teach or would not have that qualification. But it does mean that unless a man has the gift of teaching (either privately or publicly), he would not qualify for the office of elder. On the other hand, a deacon is not required to have that gift, though it is obvious that many do and it is a great blessing to the Church to have deacons who can competently handle and explain the Word of God.
The words deacon and servant are interchangeable in the New Testament. All of God's people are to be servants to each other, but the deacons are to be the officially recognized servants. Their assignments can be manifold (and all under the general oversight of the elders). Here are just a few of the tasks they can handle for the Church:

• Collect, account for and distribute the offerings
• Maintain the physical properties of the church-buildings, grounds, vehicles, etc.
• Care for the widows, orphans and other needy members of the body.
• Pay the church bills.
• Supervise the benevolence program of the church.
• Determine the salaries & benefit programs for the Church staff.
• Create & maintain church budgets.
• Provide care for those members who have physical & financial needs.
• Supervise building programs.
• Usher and otherwise assist at the services.
• Assist the elders in the distribution of the Lord's Supper.
• Provide transportation for those members who are not mobile.
  

Many other areas of service could be added to this list and in the increasingly complex culture in which the Church finds itself today, no doubt a very long list of deacon duties could be added to those above. The ideal, of course, is for every member to be assisting the deacons in these duties. The most important function of the deacons is to take the responsibility for these physical and financial duties so that the elders can devote their time and energy to "prayer and the ministry of the Word".
It should be noted that when Paul talks about the qualifications of the deacons and their office, he makes several interesting and important statements. He says that they are to be "men worthy of respect," "they must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience," "they must be first tested." He also says that those who serve well "gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus". Clearly, these men are not to be put in the office simply because they are popular or even because they are willing to serve. Their high moral qualities, their reputations and their good understanding of the Christian faith are absolutely essential. Though they are not to be looked upon as leaders of the church (as are the elders), they are, after being tested, to be recognized as spiritual men of high standing. They must be willing to serve in the trenches by overseeing the meeting of the physical needs of the body. When doing so, Paul says that they will gain an excellent standing within the congregation.
We are to honour these men, we should regularly pray for them and thank God that He has gifted the Church with such hard working, sacrificial and honorable men.

Curtis C. Thomas